Fruit-drying machine and method



Nov. 13, 1928. 1,691,874

` E. A. WHITE FRUIT DRYING MACHINE AND METHOD M/YMJ ATTORNEY Nov. 13, 1928. 1,691,874

E. A. wHn'E FRUIT DRYING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Jan. 27, 1928 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Nov. 13, 1928.

EDWARD A. WHITE, OF LEWISTON, IDAHO.

FRUIT-DRYING MACHINE .AND METHOD.

Application filed January 27, 192B.

The object of this invention is to provide a novel means for drying fruit and the invention is especially addressed to the problem of drying whole fruit that has been wet by rinsing treatment.

The great desideratum of this invention is to not only provide means which will quickly perform the drying function, but also, to greatly slierten the machine in which such function is performed.

el further feature is to localize an intensive undivided air blast stream onto the fruit in such a manner as to drive oill the water therefrom in the form of a light rain and hence the action is not one in which the relatively slow method of evaporation plays any part but it is essentially one in which force of impact of the air acts to break up and shatter the water globules and separate them from the fruit surface long` before mere evaporation could function. in this phase, my invention also relates to the method, as well as the apparat-us.

A further feature consists in facilitating the action of the air by presenting or exposing to the action of the latter the total peripheries of the fruit integers being dried.

It is a special feature of my invention to employ a fan as the source of supply of air since the volume of air required is so great,

relatively speaking, that practically any other means for supplying air would be prohibited by high cost.

By reason of the fact that l depend very `greatly not only on the high velocit-y with which the air is advanced. but also on the gres t volume of air. it will be appreciated that a very important feature of the invention consists in not only supplying the air in a single blast stream. but .in freeingsuch blast stream not only from general changes of direction but from all other velocity inipairing mea s .such as perforated, foraminous, reticulated or like velocity inlpffiirment and iulerferinameans. Thus, in accordance with my invention. the single blast stream advances in practically a total absence of any kind of interference until it contacts with the fruit.

lt will now be clear that I can obtain an air velocity so great, merely with a fan as a source. that I can frictionally engage the fruit (impinaed by the air stream) against the carrier with sufficient force to amount to a very considerable pressure. I

The invention has many other features and Serial No 249.979.

objects which will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings and which will be more particularly pointed out in and by the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a sectional View on line l--l of F ig. 2, looking toward the left of the latter.

Fig. 2, is a sectional view on line 9.-2 0i Fig. l, looking toward the right, and also showing the polishing device in its operative relation to the drying mechanism.

Fig. B, is a view of the polishing machine with the web in a different position from that shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 4, is a face view of the polishing machine.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of those rollers which are accelerated.

Like characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the different ligures of the drawings.

In the specific form shown, I will first refer to the carrier, or broadly, the fruit supporting means, which, in this construction is in the form of a carrier. Said carrier, as shown, includes link chains l, which are endless, and one bi ght of which is trained about a suitable wheel or wheels 2, mounted on a shaft 2, and power is applied in any suitable manner to drive the chains so that the upper lap in Fig. 2. will travel toward the right thereof. Said carrier is preferably an open carrier and the same includes fruit supporting bars 3. which are preferably cylindrical, and which are rotatably joui-nailed in the chains 1 and which project on opposite sides, or above and below said chains l, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Said bars 3, are transversely disposed with respect to the direction of travel of the carrier and are spaced apart from each other to carry the fruit in transversely disposed rows with the rows of fruit in spaced relation. The carrier is shown disposed substantially horizontally and I have shown means such as a slide 4, from which rows of wet fruit from the rinser can be delivered to the upper lap of the carrier in timed relation with the rate of travel of the latter. As the fruit is advanced toward the wheels 2', which point I will term the delivery bight. the rows of fruit are delivered by gravity onto a slide 5, to a polishing` machine, which will later be described. From this point, the bars complete their endless circuit. as will be clearly understood. the left hand biglit not being shown.

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The function of this fruit siiiiii'iortii'ig means or carrier is to support the fruit to be dried under or in the Zone of action ot an air blast, to be later described, and while the fruit is within this Zone of action, l provide means for facilitating` the drying action by exposing all portions of the peripheries oi the fruit to said blast.

This feature is herein .ly embodied inthe form ot lelts (i, i each of the ends oit the bars 3, these belts beine trained about pulleys T, minuit-ed upon shafts 8, dis posed in the manner shown. lrowerI maybe applied to one ot the shrinks' 8, as by .means of zl bclt 9 and' pulley l0.V T will be noted that only the upper lafjis ot s G engage the lower end periiiherics or' bar thereby leaving interniediate portions oi said bars l'ree and unobstru d t'oi" passage oit air down-` wardly therebetween. Further, the belts 6, are relatively short that they only operatively engage a limited mimber oit be i the upper lap o said carrier.f the. aggregate or said bars. .lz function ot'said belts or means those bars 3 which are in the blast. Said belts 6, are drive. directiony the carrier but at celeralted rato o speed with rcs Thus, those hars il, which ab belts 6, will be rotated in a co` Q. and at the same speed, so that no tendency to pinch or .injure the ruilt on said bars. course those bars 3, which are not engaged by belts 6, will not be rotated.

It may be informative to stat-c that the rollers or bars 3, in actual practice, have bec made two inches in diameter and spaced on three inch centers so that the three rows of fruit being` acted upon will occupy about sixV or eight inches transversely ot the rows'. l have had highly eilicient results 1yr running` the carrier at a rate ot about six 'liefst in twenty seconds and running the belts 6, about sig; times `the speedot the carrier.

Reference will next be made to my im proved air blast means and the manner in which the latter vcoasts with the tforegi'iing mechanism, l

The air blast means, as shownn consists of? a single fan casing having; semi--cyindrical upper portion ll, which may be termed the peripheral wall thereot. This wall. below a horizontal line interseetino` the `tan airis, is disposed with its lower por.'ons l2, in pas'- allel relation,` thereby avoiding' any air restriction., From points 13e l Hare the walls as indicated at llf, in order to reach the sides ot' the fruit on the carrier. l may., as shown extend the walls downwardly, as indicated at l5 to localize the air action on the subjacent fruit. The side walls of the casino: are indicated at and 1'? and they are s iown parallel down to points i8, from which' theyv slightly converge, as indicated at 19.4toward the discharge end 20. lf have shown the carrier charged with truit about two aai'. halt inches in diameter out oi? course. i. desire to treat truit that s at least live in diameter and hence t ere clearance between the e the carrer iter such range oi" site. l pren iably the .vailu itl as indicated at 2l, to act as guards teniling` t hohl the air nrrents outside the main blassL zone. towerxl t trui-t. l

ilnside the fan casingq l have sl-iown a fan mounted on a shaft journalled in bearmay comprise an electr c driving sha-tt Q3 and l ie actual practica l'. prefer io type ot tan (Davidson lll issue7 llos. 12m@ and lQOS) l'iecause oill its high eiiciencjf, but i build the casina. shown1 and claim as novel7 in the co ibinstion set forth.

ltwill now be seen that l: employ but a single fan and that the casing thereof, als shown, is disposed transversely oi the travel of the carrier and that the Vdat walls are parallel with the rows of fruit traveliingsubjacent thereto. lt will also be clear and this is important, that the discharge trom the tan is entirely unobstructed, unrestricted and undivided by reason et absolute l'reedcn'i oi" egress ot the air. This iiurtl mpliw sized by the tact that the dischaA tan casing is in tact et greater clinical area than the main body ot the tan. lhuse the air enters through the inlet openings 26, in wallli', and is propelled directly downwardly against the truit. lilith this type of casingland a Sirocca fan therein. which lai' ter is well known, il obtain a bl st stroan'i ot from ten to fifteen thousand teeiot air per minute. and l have propelled such tan by a live horse power electric motor. The tan casing; discharge was three inches by twenty tour inches. in less than three seconds l can drive oit all the water troni a. row ol? fruit. Therefore it will now be clear that in order to make a. single lan pertorm the function that has otherwise taken a relatively large, apparatusF l have coordinzfited all the remainder ol" the apparatus into ronsffiuaime with a single tan so that in a remarkably shorttimeyand with a sinogle undivided aiil current tree 'from abutting or other interterence` and with a euri 'is'..u simple and compact mechanisnn l can obtain a capacity that has heretofore been impossible.

lt will readily be seen from that the size of the single air blast stream su :icm` to envelope the middle central row ot fruit entities.

In all apparatus heretofore hnown to me, the employment ci" either heated or cold air in drying Whole ruit has inevitably been lli() Nov. 13, 1928. 1,691,874

E. A. wHn'E FRUIT DRYING MACHINE AND METHOD Filed Jan. 27, 1928 2 sheets-sheet 2 to fully expose the Jfruit integers carried thereby.

7. In a fruit drying apparatus, an endless carrier having a relatively elongated fruit carrying bight or lap and provided with spaced rotatable cylindrical bars for supporting the fruit in spaced rows and said lap advancing at a slow speed, means 'lor directing a blast ot air on a limited number ot' rows ol2 fruit as the latter are advancing, and short belts having laps running in the same direction the lap of said carrier and at a greatly accelerated speed and engaging those bars in the Zone or" said blast tor rotatingl said bars and causing the fruit integers thereon to rapidly turn and thereby expose all areas thereof to said blast.

8. In a fruit drying appz'iratus, an open carrier for continuously and slowly advancing fruit thereon, an air blast means directed onto a portion o1 the truit on said carrier and oit' sutlicient velocity to drive the water oll' from said fruit and also 'from oli' that portion ot' the carrier beneath said blast in the 'form et' rain. and means for causing that portion o'l' the fruit under said blast to rapidi)r turn to expose all portions ot' such fruit to said blast in addition to the lruit changing posi tion etl'ected by advancing movement ot' said Y carrier.

9. In a fruit drying apparatus, a carrier having bars supporting fruit in rows disposed transversely to the direction of travel of said carrier, a rotary fan having a casing disposed above said carrier and said casing having a single discharge end opening in superposed relation above a limited number of rows of fruit and said discharge end leading straight 'from said casing and being ot' such greater cross section than the latter as to aflord unrestricted passage ot air therethrough directly onto that portion of the fruit immen diatcly suhjacent said discharge end.

l0. T he herein-described method of drying whole lruit, which consi in turning dripping` wet fruit to expose all surface areas thereo't', and in directing onto said turning 'lruit an individed air blast stream 'free from interference and o a size to envelope fruit entities and of sufficient velocity to physically drive olli' the vater like rain before evaporation el the water can take place.

ll. The herein-deseribed method of removing water 'from whole ilruit, which consists, in rapidly turning and slowly advancing drippii'ig wet fruit, and in directing onto said turning and advancing fruit an air blast stream l'ree from interference and of sutlicient velocit)y to physically envelope and drive oil the water from said fruit betere evaporation ol' the water can take place.

12. In a mechanism 'for removing water from whole -fruit` means lor rapidly turning dripping wet fruit to expose all surface areas thereof, and means lor blowing an undivided stream oll air against said turning fruit of a size to envelope fruit entities and with a suf- Iieient velocity to physically drive off the water from said -l'ruit before evaporation ot Jthe water can take place.

In witness whereof, I hereby atlix my signature.

EDVARD A. WHITE. 

